Knights Landing fire chief escorted to her final resting place

Firefighters and engine companies from throughout Yolo County and beyond gathered outside Woodland's Holy Rosary Catholic Church Friday morning to say a final goodbye to one of their own.

Yolo County dispatchers added their own tribute as well, offering a final call at 12:43 p.m. to Knights Landing Fire Chief Rachel Olson, who "courageously" fought cancer before finally passing away on Monday, July 14, having served the department for 22 years.

In their final tribute to Olson, firefighters provided a funeral procession of nearly 20 fire engines between Holy Rosary and Knights Landing with an escort provided by the California Highway Patrol following an hourlong service. Mass for Olson was held at the Knights Landing Cemetery.

The procession traveled from the church toward Kentucky Avenue and then to East Street in Woodland before turning north and toward Knights Landing and the cemetery.

Olson, 40, attended and graduated from Woodland High School. She was employed by the Yolo County Sheriff's Office for 15 years and at the Knights Landing Fire Department for 22 years, serving for many years as the fire chief.

Olson had battled cancer for a number of years. In January 2012, for example, hundreds throughout the Yolo County community came together to show their support at a fundraising pancake breakfast held at Woodland Fire Station No. 3.

Firefighters served thousands of eggs, hundreds of pounds of potatoes and dozens and dozens of sausages to raise money to benefit Olson, who had earlier been diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer in mid-November 2011.

"There was lots of people here, it was amazing," she said at the time. "I'm thankful for everybody being here. Like I've said in the past, there's no way I could probably get through this without so much support. It's amazing to see how much the community has came together from everywhere from the county to Sacramento."

Support came in nearly every direction, from local law enforcement to the 13 fire agencies in the county and the general public.

"There's people that came that I haven't seen since high school," said Olson, a 1992 Woodland High alumna, at the time. "It was nice. Lots of family, lots of friends, people I haven't seen for probably 20 years."

Though Olson served Knights Landing, she wasn't surprised that the Woodland Fire Department was more than willing to host the occasion. "Fire family is fire family," she said. "It reunites everybody. We are all one big family."

On Friday, Olson's "fire family" made sure they were present see she was escorted properly to her final resting place.